


Plugged In

by FairyLights101



Series: Matsuhanaiwaoi Week 2017 [6]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Past Abuse, Trans Character, Youtuber AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-09-21 11:33:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9547334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyLights101/pseuds/FairyLights101
Summary: Being a YouTuber isn't easy - but it's probably easier than falling for two other 'Tubers with an ocean between you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Seijoh 4 Week Day 6: Youtuber AU  
> AKA: the excuse I needed to jumpstart my YT AU fic

Tooru nibbled at his lips as he scrolled through the comments section of his latest video. It was  _ YouTube _ , so the comments were a slew of things ranging from sweet little blurbs that made him grin to idiotic comments or memes that left his eyes rolling, or, thankfully rarely appearing, hateful comments that latched onto him with sharp teeth and held on tight. And that wasn’t even all of the kinds of “feedback” he’d seen. 

“Price of being a YouTuber,” he breathed as he scanned the lines of a longer comment, one from an individual thanking him profusely for his videos and how they inspired him. He smiled and quickly replied to it, cheery and full of happy emoticons, and then scrolled on. He continued for a few more minutes before he caught up, and he leaned back, satisfied with himself. The reviews he’d received were largely good - people really loved his latest nail art tutorial, mint green with chrome alien heads, spaceships, and stars on them. He thought they had looked nice too, and Takahiro had agreed when he’d walked out for dinner the night before when he’d finally finished filming. 

Tooru spun his desk chair around and rose from it, legs stiff. He was hungry, and Takahiro probably was too - he’d been shut up in his room since the morning, filming another video, or at least working on something for a video. He sailed out to the kitchen and made them both sandwiches, loaded that and drinks onto a tray, and headed for the spare bedroom-turned workshop, or, as Takahiro fondly called it, ‘the film cave’. 

The sewing machine purred, a soft hum that filled the room as he nudged his way in. Takahiro sat before it, back hunched over, eyes glued to the fabric he fed through the machine with practiced ease. Tooru waited by the door until Takahiro paused for a moment and leaned back to shift the fabric, and Tooru cleared his throat. Takahiro jolted and glanced over his shoulder, then a smile bloomed across his face. “Hey there cutie. What time is it?” 

“Time for a break,” he said teasingly as he set the tray down on the table tucked in the corner, free of nail polish and everything else he’d used the other day. 

Takahiro groaned, but he rose and stretched, joints cracking, soft relieved noises leaving him. He drifted over and wrapped an arm around Tooru’s waist with a silly little smile. “Thank babe, looks great. Straight out of Gordon Ramsey’s kitchen.” 

“Fuck off,” he fired back, and they both grinned. Tooru leaned in and pecked Takahiro on the lips, and then he pushed his boyfriend down into one of the puffy navy chairs so he could sit too. “You need to eat.” 

Takahiro stuck his tongue out, but he obediently picked up his egg salad sandwich and dug in. Tooru watched him for a moment, smiling faintly as his partner hungrily packed his cheeks full and chewed, eyes scrunched closed with pleasure. After a moment he paused and glanced at Tooru, his face puffed out, a bit of food on his lips. Tooru shook his head with a grin. “You’re lucky I love you so much, dumbass.” 

Takahiro swallowed and beamed at him, eyes glittering. Tooru pressed his face into his hands and heaved a teasing sigh before he began to eat too. “What’re you making this time?” he said around bites with a glance to the table full of sewing supplies and shimmery green fabric. 

“Skirt ‘n corset,” Takahiro chirped, eyes bright with excitement. “Based off of Link’s outfit!” 

“From  _ ‘Legend of Zelda’ _ ?” 

_ “Yes,” _ Takahiro hissed with a smirk, even more energy filling those pretty amber eyes with mad enthusiasm, and Tooru couldn’t help but giggle. 

“You love that game so much, I’m honestly surprised you don’t make gaming videos for that at least.” 

Takahiro ‘flipped’ his short, pastel pink hair and fluttered his fingers at Tooru. “Come now, dear, being a beauty ‘Tuber is where my heart lies! But, I mean, maybe one day.” 

Tooru smiled and reached over. His fingers brushed across Takahiro’s cheek, and those amber eyes fluttered shut as he leaned into Tooru’s touch. “Good. You do it so well, beautiful.” 

Those soft cheeks went a little pink as Takahiro nodded shyly and nuzzled into Tooru’s palm. The brunet’s grin only broadened, heart aching with fondness at that rare, if subtle, acceptance, and he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Takahiro’s forehead, then to those soft lips when his head turned up. His boyfriend hummed happily and reached up to cup Tooru’s hand, chasing after him for kisses for another few moments before they finally sank back into their own seats. 

They finished their meal in comfortable silence, full of soft smiles and ankles and feet rubbing together, and then Tooru gathered their things and stood. “Have fun,” he hummed, “And make sure to stretch, okay? And wear your wrist brace.” Takahiro huffed, but he nodded and held his arms out, demanding. Tooru laughed softly, leaned down, and pulled Takahiro in for a tight hug and a sweet kiss once more before he slipped out. 

He found himself in the living room a few minutes later, curled up on the couch with his laptop as the TV buzzed quietly in the background. He had fanmail to check, messages to reply to, videos to plan. The beauty game was constantly changing and moving, and people were always wanting something new. That, and they wanted more personal videos - talking about his day, funny things, even a tour of their house. And, sometimes, there was no harm in giving a look at someone else’s creations and trying that or a trend out. 

_ I wonder if Shoyo would want to do a collab soon. I know he just did the ‘Boyfriend Does My Makeup’ with Kenma, but I’m sure he’d be down for it. _ That video had been funny too - Kenma was a gamer, but too quiet and disinterested to be a YouTuber, so it had been a pleasant surprise to see Kenma lose some of his camera shyness, sassing Shoyo left and right and grumbling about products he didn’t understand. Tooru smiled to himself as he plucked his phone up.

**To Chibi✩: Hey, do you want to do a collab this week???(｡･ω･)ﾉﾞ**

His phone dinged before he could set it back down, and Tooru grinned to himself as he opened Shoyo’s message with a shake of his head.  _ So excitable. _

**From Chibi✩: !!!!! YES!!! WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN MIND???**

**To Chibi✩: Blindfold makeup challenge maybe?**

**From Chibi✩: that sounds great!!! can i film 1 too???**

**To Chibi✩: Sure (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑ any ideas?**

**From Chibi:✩ ….**

**From Chibi✩: i’ll think of something maybe…|д･)**

**To Chibi✩: Good luck lol**

**From Chibi✩: :’3**

Tooru set his phone to the side and went to the YouTube homepage, satisfied. Hootiful, run by Keiji Akaashi, had uploaded a new video, this one “Getting Ready For My Date”. He marked it for later and glanced over the other videos, all of which he’d already viewed. The recommended videos were a hit though - that held a couple of nail art videos he hadn’t yet seen, as well as a few makeup tutorials and a YouTube challenge that seemed interesting. He watched a handful of them before he settled back, fresh ideas spinning in his head. 

Tooru smiled and pushed his laptop onto the couch. He slipped back into his room, grabbed his sketch pad, and settled back on the couch, legs tucked neatly beneath himself. He wasn’t a  _ great _ artist, nothing like Takahiro, but it was better to write things down and get them drawn out so he wouldn’t forget. The pages were filled with nail art designs, sketches of faces and makeup looks, loosely drawn backgrounds. Tooru flipped to a blank page and started to draw, tongue stuck out and eyes scrunched up. He managed to get a mock up of four things down - two nail arts, a basic makeup, and an SFX piece - before his phone chimed again and he glanced at it.

**From Chibi✩: we can do sfx makeup based off this maybe??? and a couple fanarts???**

**From Chibi✩: [link]**

**From Chibi✩: [3 images attached]**

**From Chibi✩: these guys are super hot too ;333**

Tooru snorted, but he tapped on the link Shoyo had sent, curious.  _ “LET’S PLAY: Don’t Starve Together!” _ greeted him, posted just a week before by “MatsuBatsu”, a name Tooru had never heard before. Then again, his only connection to the gaming community was Kenma, who never talked that much about the videos he watched unless he was infatuated with the game, and to an even lesser extent, Takahiro, who coerced him into the occasional cosplays for his channel. 

The video loaded and two men appeared on camera, both tan and muscular, one a little taller than the other. The shorter one had black hair that was wild, spiked in every direction, his thick arms on clear display from a tank top, bulging with muscles.  _ Oh fuck. _ The other was taller, less built, his face more mischievous, brown eyes glittering as he raked his fingers through his dark, curly hair.  _ God dammit. _

The second one grinned and waved as he started to speak, a tongue ring flashing.  _ “Hey there little bats! Welcome back to MatsuBatsu!” _ His voice was deep, rumbling, the kind that felt like liquid warmth in Tooru’s chest that made him lean forward slightly, eager for more. He smiled to himself.  _ “I’m Issei Matsukawa, and this is Hajime Iwaizumi from FitnessWitness. Hajime is joining me today to play ‘Don’t Starve Together’, bless him.”  _

_ “Only because you begged incessantly,” _ Hajime teased, a smile flickering on his lips. Issei grinned and waggled his thick eyebrows at the camera before he spread his hands.  _ “Save the mean things, Hajime, and let’s get started!” _

Engrossed, Tooru watched as the screen became dominated instead by a launch screen - from Issei’s laptop - with their little video feed tucked into the corner as a small thumbnail. They picked their characters, Issei going with a blond girl named “Wendy” while Hajime went with a burly lumberjack named “Woody”. 

The pair bickered back and forth, light-hearted and easy to follow as they went through the world gathering resources. Tooru’s smile couldn’t die, the banter too amusing, especially when they swatted playfully at each other. Issei himself constantly had a grin, filling the video with laughter and jokes as he skillfully maneuvered his character around. Hajime was quieter, but he fired back with taunts just as strong, and he picked up the game quickly despite the fact that he seemed less skilled with games than Issei. 

He couldn’t pull his eyes away, torn between the game and the thumbnail that sometimes filled the whole screen to better show off their reactions. And then they ended the session and Issei stretched, grinning as he wiggled his fingers.  _ “And that was ‘Don’t Starve Together’, my awesome guys, gals, and nonbinary pals! I hope you guys enjoyed, and if you did please let me know and we might make more of these!”  _

_ “Oh God, no,” _ Hajime groaned quietly, lips quirked up in a smirk. Issei just burst into laughter. Tooru’s heart tripped a new beat and he paused the video. Hajime’s eyes were on Issei, soft and full of love as he grinned, his hand down on Issei’s thigh.  _ He’s so in love. _ But if the video was anything to go by, then so was Issei. And, wholly separate from their relationship with each other- 

“Fuck, they’re beautiful,” he breathed to himself, eyes tracing along Issei’s sharp jaw, Hajime’s thick arms. 

“Who’s beautiful, babe?” Tooru jolted, startled, but he settled as long, slender arms looped around his neck, lips brushing across his temple. “Sorry,” Takahiro breathed, “Didn’t mean to scare you.” 

“It’s okay,” Tooru hummed as he kissed the inside of Takahiro’s arm. He lingered there for a moment before he pulled his phone from his lap and held it up for Takahiro to see. A sharper inhale made Tooru’s smile broaden. 

“Damn… they really  _ are _ gorgeous.” 

Laughter bubbled out of Tooru and he twisted, tugged Takahiro down into a soft kiss, both of them smiling into it. “They are,” Tooru breathed as they pulled apart, only to press their foreheads together. “Might watch more of their videos. Their English is really good, but they talked a bit in Japanese - think they’re natives?” 

Takahiro laughed against his mouth. “Maybe. Should we stalk their accounts?” 

“Are you done making your video?” 

Takahiro made a quiet noise of dissent and leaned back so he could wiggle his fingers in Tooru’s face. Three of them were wrapped up with Hello Kitty Band-Aids, a little discolored in some spots. Tooru dropped his phone onto his thigh and curled Takahiro’s hand within his, pulling it close. “How even?” 

“I got a little distracted doing the embroidery…” Takahiro mumbled. Tooru shook his head and drew those slender hands in closer. He kissed each fingertip, lips lingering on the bandaged ones, and then he pressed Takahiro’s palm to his cheek, sinking into it. 

“Be careful, idiot.” 

“You too, moron.” 

They beamed at each other for a moment before Takahiro leaned in for another kiss, then reached down and plucked Tooru’s phone from his leg. “So, how about we watch more of these cute boys?” Tooru grinned and patted the spot beside him. Takahiro flopped down and Tooru balanced the laptop on their knees. 

He pulled up another MatsuBatsu video, this one about a game called Half Life. Even without Hajime, Issei was still hilarious - he made random commentary on various things, from the graphics and AI to the game mechanics and world building. Some of the language easily sailed over Tooru’s head - games were more of Takahiro’s thing - but it was still interesting. That, and he got to see lots more of Issei, drinking in details with every closeup. 

His ears were gauged, but they were small, and his ears were lined with piercings. There were dimples that peeked out with every smile, quick and easy. He was always moving, bouncing in his seat and waving his hands around or dragging his fingers through his wild curls and undercut. Warm brown eyes fluttered across the camera and then away once more. He was definitely a good gamer, chattering away about what he thought about the game, and even miscellaneous things. Tooru found himself grinning from ear to ear, Takahiro too, as they watched one video, then a second, and then Takahiro swiped the computer and typed in FitnessWitness. 

The first video was a ten minute tutorial video on different types of pushups. Hajime, simply put, was  _ ripped. _ Takahiro made a quiet noise in the back of his throat when Hajime appeared on the screen in a fitted tank top that showed off a broad chest and thick arms dotted with a few tattoos and workout shorts that were just as tight across his thighs and ass. He introduced the video with a smooth voice, deeper than Issei’s, and the words  _ “My name is Hajime Iwaizumi, and welcome to FitnessWitness” _ shouldn’t have made Tooru shiver, but they did. 

Enraptured, he and Takahiro watched Hajime go through each kind of pushup with careful instructions, explanations, and side comments for each, typically little tips and tricks. When that finished Tooru wordlessly clicked on another one of his videos, this time a yoga one with Issei beside him. 

“So unfair,” Tooru whispered as the two appeared on camera, Hajime in a slightly looser shirt and yoga pants while Issei wore a loose tank top that showed off pierced nipples every time it moved just right. 

“Fuck,” Takahiro murmured as the pair onscreen went into the first post, Issei doing a side profile, Hajime full-front. “They’re so freaking hot,” Takahiro continued softly, “And that Issei guy is super funny.” 

Tooru hummed in agreement. Issei kept up a playful banter between poses, subtle, soft comments that didn’t overwhelm the tranquil, relaxing nature of the video. As soon as the video finished and his brain managed to function again Tooru slammed the subscribe button for FitnessWitness, then MatsuBatsu, and then he looked to Takahiro, who grinned at him. “We’re so gay,” Takahiro sighed happily as he pressed into Tooru’s side. 

Tooru just chuckled and pecked his boyfriend’s cheek. “Just a lot.” 

“We can binge their videos, right?” 

Tooru nodded as he pressed their cheeks together with a hum. “Absolutely. Right after we finish editing our collab video.” 

Takahiro threw himself backwards onto the couch with a quiet groan. “ _ No _ … Tooru, babe-” 

“It’s been  _ two weeks _ since we finished it, we need to get it up.” 

Takahiro propped himself upright and eyed Tooru for a moment before he sighed and nodded. “Fine, fine. Let’s get down to business… to defeat the Huns!” Tooru shook his head, but that didn’t stop Takahiro from grinning as he flung himself off the couch. “Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?” Takahiro cried dramatically. He flung his arms out wide, one hand held out to Tooru, and he wiggled his fingers in the silence, an expectant look on his face. 

The brunet eyed the extended limb, looked to his boyfriend, and then slowly smiled as he pushed his laptop onto the cushions and took his partner’s hand. “You’re the saddest bunch I ever met, but you can bet before we’re through-” “

Mister, I’ll make a man out of you!” Takahiro pulled Tooru close and spun him in a tight circle, swaying his hips as he belted out the lyrics. 

“Tranquil as a forest, but on fire within!” 

“Once you find your center you are sure to win!” Takahiro squeezed his hands, pushed their bodies apart, and twisted on the heels of his feet. 

“You’re a spineless, pale, pathetic lot, and you haven’t got a clue-” 

“Somehow I’ll make a man out of you!” they sang together, voices climbing, laughter edging in.

They rocked close again, bodies pressed close as Takahiro swayed them back and forth with comically huge steps, giggling between breaths, his cheeks flushed with joy. “I’m never gonna catch my breath-” 

“Say goodbye to those who knew me-” 

“Boy, was I a fool in school for cutting gym!” 

“This guy’s got them scared to death-” 

“Hope he doesn’t see right through me!” 

“Now I really wish that I knew how to swim!” 

Takahiro released one of his hands and threw his body away, stretched out wide, laughing so hard that his body shook. There were tears of joy in the corners of his eyes as they came close once more, Tooru breathless from far more than the dancing and singing. But he kept on, eyes flicking between those sweet lips and radiant eyes as their foreheads bumped together, voices finally melding once more. 

“We are men - we must be swift as a coursing river! We are men - with all the force of a great typhoon! We are men - with all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of the moon!” 

Takahiro thrust their arms out once more and nudged their faces together, noses and mouths brushing, fingers tangled together as they giggled against each other’s mouth. His soft, sugary scent filled Tooru’s nose, made his smile stretch even wider as his heart thumped wildly in his chest.  _ God, I love you so much. _

Thunderous bangs behind them made them jolt as a booming voice carried through the walls - harsh words directed at them. But they fell to the back of Tooru’s mind, blocked out as his world crashed in. Takahiro had stopped breathing, his grip on Tooru’s hands brutally tight. 

Another series of thuds. Takahiro flinched in time to each beat, breath hitching, eyes clenched shut as he pulled away. Tooru guided his boyfriend’s hands to his back and reached up, cupped Takahiro’s face, their foreheads pressing together once more. “Hiro, baby, I’m here. I’m with you. It’s okay, you’re  _ safe  _ here.” 

“I-I know,” he rasped, voice shaking. “I’m here,” he breathed to Tooru. “Here with you.” 

Tooru swept his fingers across Takahiro’s cheeks and smiled faintly. “That’s right. You are.” His fingers carefully stroked along Takahiro’s face, through his hair, along his shoulders and back. Those shaky breaths never turned more erratic. The shaking in his hands didn’t worsen. Takahiro just slumped into him and they inhaled and exhaled together, long, careful, steady. 

When they pulled apart those warm amber eyes were distant, damp with tears of a different kind. Tooru clasped his hand and led Takahiro back to their bedroom. With gentle words and cautious touches Tooru stripped his lover to his boxers and eased him into the bed. He sat on the edge and stroked that silky pink hair, smoothed fingers across fine cheeks, pressed feathery kisses against his forehead, touches light, until those dull eyes fluttered shut. A minute later his breathing evened out. 

Only then did Tooru let the anger twist his face and churn, blistering, in his gut as he rose. He tugged on his shoes, hastily scribbled a note, and slapped it onto the neighbor’s door, then slipped back in and curled up onto the bed, earbuds in and one hand in Takahiro’s hair as he queued up more MatsuBatsu, praying that the two together would calm the furious heat inside.


	2. Chapter 2

The lights were blinding when Hajime opened his eyes, and he groaned, buried his face beneath a pillow. There was laughter, soft, rich, and a touch to his ankle that nearly drew his head back out from beneath the dark sanctuary. “Wake up, Hajime,” Issei sang, fingers skipping up his bare leg to lightly tickle the back of his knee. He grunted and gently kicked back at Issei. More laughter, the kind that left warmth pooling in his chest, even as Issei’s hand returned, creeping further up his leg. Issei’s hand darted forward, grabbed the waistband of his briefs, and snapped them against Hajime’s back. 

He rose with a growl, throwing off the sheet and duvet as he blindly reached out, grabbed Issei in a tight hold, and dragged him back into the bed. Issei squealed, limbs flailing, but Hajime latched on tight, legs hooking around his waist, arms locking around his shoulders, and he flipped them so Issei was on his back. Within thirty seconds he was pinned down, flat on his back and staring up at Hajime, cheeks flushed, a huge smile tugging at his lips. “Asshole,” Issei teased. 

Hajime grinned, let his hands go loose around Issei to trail across his shoulders, down to his chest to trace the scars there, and then to the tattoos framing them on his ribs. “And, do tell,  _ why _ do I need to wake up?” Hajime said with a poke to Issei’s side. 

His partner squirmed, biting back a giggle, and he grabbed at Hajime’s hands, fingers sliding around his wrists, holding him tight - and keeping his hands far,  _ far _ away from his body. “Because Hajime! I found something I know you’ll want to see!” 

“If it’s another one of those-” 

“It’s  _ not _ ,” Issei groaned as he flopped back onto the bed. Their hands slid together, fingers trailing against one another as Issei linked their fingers, smiled sweetly. “It’s a café, one I saw this morning and thought we could vlog about going to!” 

Hajime stared at him for a long,  _ long _ moment. Released a slow sigh. He listed to the side and flopped onto the bed, snatching a loose blanket and wrapping it tight around him as he curled away from Issei. 

“Haji _ me _ !” Issei whined, instantly latching onto his huddled up form, fingers skittering around, desperate to find an entrance, or even purchase so he could roll Hajime over. He gave his boyfriend no give though, holding the blanket tight and rolling over and away whenever he did manage to find a gap in the safety of the blankets. It lasted for a few minutes before Issei groaned loudly and slumped on top of Hajime, heavy on Hajime’s side. “So mean,” he mumbled, “Just wanted to have a nice date with you…” 

“One you want to broadcast to the rest of the world,” Hajime teased. 

“Hajime,  _ the money,  _ okay?” 

Hajime snorted, but he poked his head out of the blankets and blinked at Issei. Those warm brown eyes were on him, puppy-like and irresistible, especially with that pout that pushed his lips out. Hajime leaned up, pecked him, and rose. “Fine, let’s get ready.” 

“Fuck yes!” Issei leapt off the bed, ditching his boxers within two steps of the bed, and he dove into the dresser. Hajime stared after him for a moment, watching as he wiggled his body to some song he must have had in his head, before he rolled his eyes, grinning, and stripped as well. 

The whole dressing process was a little more complicated when Issei insisted upon kissing him every five seconds,  _ especially _ when he realized Hajime was naked, but eventually he managed to fend Issei off enough so that they were both dressed and  _ not _ covered in forming hickies. Issei grabbed a little bag that he stuffed with some filming equipment, and then they were off, Issei humming happily, hand tangled with Hajime’s as he filmed their progress down the street. 

People looked at them strangely, always did - whether it was the whole  _ ‘hey, guess who’s gay in Japan’  _ or the fact that they were filming themselves and their surroundings in public was hard to discern. Somewhat. But neither of them paid it mind, especially not Issei. He was absorbed, chattering away to a currently non-existent audience, a massive grin on his face as he pointed out some shops that they approached, talked about plans, and everything else that came to mind. For the most part, Hajime stayed silent. There wasn’t much to add, not that he wanted to - it was a video for Issei’s channel after all, and he enjoyed hearing Issei talk, even if Issei himself didn’t quite like it. An adjustment process, Hajime kept insisting. That only made Issei pout and roll his eyes before he tried to drop his voice even deeper, make it even rougher. 

_ It’s perfect as is.  _

They came to a stop, and Hajime cast a sly glance at Issei’s phone before he leaned in, bumped his nose to his boyfriend’s cheek, and pecked him gently. There was a pink tint to Issei’s cheeks when he pulled back, and Issei turned to him, eyes dancing. “Hajime,” he crooned, “So sweet!” 

Hajime flicked him on the forehead with his free hand, and Issei whined at him. “I lied! You’re mean! Let me tell you nice things!” 

“No, how dare?” 

“ _ Guys,  _ leave comments telling Hajime he needs to accept it when I call him things like sweet and  _ cute _ and hot and- oh hey, the light changed!” 

Hajime couldn’t bite back the grin, and he shook his head, squeezed Issei’s hand.  _ God, I love you.  _ Issei glanced at him, grinned, and tugged him forward, an excited bounce in his step as they worked their way through the crowd. 

The café itself was nearly a forty minute walk from their apartment, but they got to take a nice stroll through the nearby park - one they filled with far too much goofing off, especially when Issei nearly pushed Hajime into the lake, and the  _ “nice stroll”  _ dissolved into a frantic game of chase that ended with Hajime tackling him to the ground, Issei sprawled beneath him, and a kiss or five before they rose. But, despite that delay, it went quick enough, and soon enough they were at the café - one with  _ cats.  _ Hajime grinned as he glanced at Issei. “You’re doing this because we can’t have any in the apartment, aren’t you?” 

Issei grinned at him, sneaky, behind the camera of his phone, and he wiggled his fingers. “Of course, sweetheart. Just trying to convince you to let us move out after the lease is up so we can get one where we can have pets! I want  _ lizards,  _ Hajime! I need my lizard babies!” 

Hajime groaned, but he didn’t respond as he hauled the front door open, the bells above jingling.  _ Maybe soon. But for now - the cats are calling.  _

The café had several rooms, some public, some private, and even a hypoallergenic room that had quite a few people in it. All the cats seemed well-behaved - they filled laps, lounged on couches and chairs, and they were fairly eager to play with the visitors - or walk across their tables and sniff curiously. The woman at the register greeted them with a bright grin, led them to one of the public rooms, and Hajime and Issei glanced at each other, excited. 

“You fucking bastard, always picking the good spots,” Hajime said under his breath. 

Issei blew him a kiss, squeezed his hand tighter, turned his camera to the ground. 

The second they were inside, there were cats hovering around them, winding around their legs and meowing, stretching up, eager for attention. Hajime dropped into a crouch and let a short-haired orange and white tabby clamber into his arms, robust purrs pouring out of its throat as it rubbed against him. “Such a pretty kitty,” he murmured as he rubbed at the cat’s ears, checked its collar -  _ Tonbu, Female, 3 years old.  _

He grinned, scratched along her back, and glanced up at Issei. The camera was fixed on him, Issei standing there and grinning at him like an idiot - an adorable, perfect, beautiful idiot that Hajime was hopelessly, desperately in love with. “You dork,” he said softly. 

Issei meowed at him. 

Hajime flipped him off, scooped Tonbu into his arms, and they found seats by the window, a little ways apart from the rest of the room’s occupants, and they settled down. Tea and menus were brought out within minutes - and by then, the pair had attracted more cats. Hajime read out the information on their collars for Issei, who beamed and cooed their names, which sent the cats scampering to him, just like always. Issei just had that magic with animals - and people, the kind that send them running towards him, no matter what, to give him affection. 

As Issei’s arms filled with felines, Hajime swiped his phone, turned it on Issei, and let the screen fill with Issei, a sweet smile on his face, eyes slitted with happiness as he cradled a black cat, Komu, to his chest, scratching gently at his stomach as he blew kisses to the cat. “I swear, you love those things more than me,” Hajime teased. Issei stuck his tongue out at Hajime and Hajime nudged him beneath the table with a grin before he turned the camera, focused it on the cats milling around their feet. They meowed at them, and then one creamy white Persian flopped down beside him and started to groom herself. He leaned down, stuck his fingers into her soft fluffy fur. 

“Hey, Issei,” he whispered, so soft that Issei, currently occupied with two cats in his arms, couldn’t hear. “When you watch this, just wanted to tell you that I love you, and you’re my favorite handsome man.” 

“What’re you saying, Hajime?” 

He popped back up with a smile, handed the phone back. “Nothing, nothing, just talking to the cat, and- oh, look.” 

The waitress smiled at them, big and bright, and set down a tray of cakes on the table between them. “I hope you two enjoy!” 

They said their thanks, plucked the cats off the table and moved them down to the floor, and Issei had his phone up in a flash. He pushed it in close, getting a close up of all the delicious-looking treats laid out before them. Some of them were more traditional Japanese dishes, others more similar to American sweets. Regardless, they all looked delicious, and almost too good to eat, especially with how one cupcake had tiny little sakura petals made of frosting pressed into the white icing, or how the macaroons had all sorts of colors swirled into them. They grinned at each other, and Issei plucked up one of the cookies, a little thing shaped like a cat’s head with a little design on it, black fur with white highlights and golden eyes. “Say ‘ah’, Hajime!” 

Hajime glared at Issei and the camera facing him and he rolled his eyes. “In your dream, Issei.” 

Issei sent a pout his way once more, but that quickly melted into a bright smile as Hajime opened his mouth and leaned forward. His only warning was a flicker in Issei’s expression, right before the cookie was shoved into his mouth. 

Hajime grunted and lurched back, eyes wide as he bit into the cookie, keeping it in place in his mouth. His chair rocked back, then slammed back into place, and he scowled at his partner as he bit the rest of the way through the cookie and carefully maneuvered it so he could chew it. He swallowed. Licked the crumbs from his lips and flipped Issei and his phone off. “Fuck you,  _ babe _ .” 

“Anytime,  _ stud muffin _ .” 

Hajime made a retching sound, and that made Issei burst into giggles, the phone dropping so he could clutch at his sides, eyes scrunching up. The irritation melted away in an instant, and Hajime could only stare, watching with a fond smile as Issei shook his head, eyes shut tight and lips curled up into the biggest genuine smile he’d seen in far too long. 

The laughter died away after a minute, and Issei’s eyes cracked open. Confusion passed across his face, quick, fleeting, and Hajime smiled as he reached across the table, pushed the phone out of Issei’s hand to lace their fingers together. His fingers were cold, bony in his, but it was nice, and he held them tight as he drew his hand over, brushed his lips across Issei’s knuckles. Red bloomed in the apples of Issei’s cheeks, and he glanced away, over to the other occupants of the room, then out the window, before back to Hajime. “A-ah, what was that for?” 

“Nothing,” Hajime hummed as he rubbed his thumb across the back of Issei’s hand, then let his boyfriend have his hand back. “Just wanted to do it.” 

Issei flushed a little darker, coughed, and then he scooted his chair a little closer, so that they were no longer on opposite sides of the table. He flicked Hajime on the thigh, but whatever he tried to convey behind that was ruined by the way he buried his face into Hajime’s neck and sighed, rubbing his face into Hajime’s skin. “You asshole,” he rasped, “You can’t be so cute and perfect and just-  _ ugh _ .” 

Hajime grinned, pressed a kiss to Issei’s scalp and settled a hand across his back, finding the ridges of his spine, his shoulder blade, and scratching gently at the skin through his purple shirt. “Oh well.” 

Issei fired a half-hearted glare at him before he pulled back and stared at the black and white cat, Claire, who had hopped up onto the table and was sniffing at the sweets. “Bad kitty, my sweets.” She glanced up and stared Issei dead in the eye as she slowly raised a paw. He lunged forward, threw a protective arm around the sweets - right as she knocked his phone off the table with a well-aimed swipe of her paw. 

Hajime clapped his hand to his mouth, smothering laughter behind it as Issei glared at him and the cat before leaned over, grabbed his phone off the ground, and aimed it at the cat. “And this, my dear friends, is what an asshole cat looks like.” Clair merely blinked sweetly at the camera and started to lick delicately at one of her black paws. “Don’t give me that cute shit now, you little dick, we all know what you did.” Her tail flicked. Issei groaned, and glanced at Hajime. “Next time, I’m finding a dog café for us to go to. They’re not nearly as rude.” 

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” 

Issei huffed, and plucked up a piece of mochi that he stuffed into his mouth, pointedly ignoring that remark. They went back and forth, filming each other and the cats around them. It wasn’t Issei’s regular gaming video to say the least, but they knew the viewers wouldn’t mind - they were a little  _ too _ invested in Issei and Hajime’s life, always begging for apartment tours and videos of them going out and about. 

Not that Hajime and Issei could complain. More videos meant more money after all. And more money meant that they could move into a nicer apartment sooner rather than later, and he could Issei that snake he’d been talking about getting almost nonstop since he’d started watching one YouTuber - Sugurusss - with what seemed like an army of reptiles and fish.  _ Soon, soon.  _

He leaned into Issei. Smiled as he watched his boyfriend toy with the cat in his lap. They left after nearly two hours, clothes covered in cat fur and stomachs full of sweets and tea. It was pleasant though, and it left Issei positively radiant as he bounced along the streets and paths they crossed, happily chattering away to his phone. Hajime let him swing their hands between them, so eagerly that his arm felt like it might fly off or dislocate, but it was nice, regardless. 

Even nicer when they returned to their apartment and Issei turned the phone off, then immediately turned to him and threw his arms around Hajime’s neck. He pulled Hajime further into the living room, bumping their foreheads together, eyes nearly shut as he beamed at him. “Thank you for coming with me,” he sang softly. 

“Of course,” Hajime hummed, “I had fun.” 

“I know, but you also let me film, and-” 

“It’s okay,” he said again, hands sliding down Issei’s body to cradle his waist. He guided them then, taking slow steps that carried them through the apartment in a loose dance, one that led them all through the living area. “It was nice.” 

“I’m glad! I was so happy I found that place, and I know you’ve been missing your cats from home, and I thought it would be a really nice place to go because it’s our day off, and! I’m so glad we did! It was super nice and the cats were super friendly, and-  _ ah,  _ Hajime, I want one!” 

Hajime grinned. The excitement, the rush of words, left him warm, and he stilled their movements, hugged Issei tight. His boyfriend squeaked, a quiet sound, and Hajime burrowed into his shoulder, humming softly and grinning to himself. “Of course,” he said softly. “When we move out, we can get a cat.” 

“And a snake?” 

“And a snake.” 

“What about a dog?” 

“... Nothing bigger than a medium-sized dog, and you’re taking care of it.” 

“And fish!” 

“... Oh, I suppose.” 

Issei pulled back, just long enough for Hajime to glimpse the sweet, delighted grin that curled his lips, and then he dove in. His kiss was sweet, tasted like buttercream frosting and blueberries and everything else they’d eaten and fed each other, so sugar sweet, and Hajime melted into it as hands climbed, threaded into his hair, tugging gently as they pressed closer, closer, until there was no space left between them, not even to breath. 

His fingers curled into Issei’s shirt, clutched him tight, and there was that familiar ache in his chest, one he wanted to crush, to remove completely - but he couldn’t. Not with the familiar fears that lingers, with the way things had been playing out until recently.  _ But this- I’m happy here. I’m happy with this. With him by my side, finally finding his happiness too.  _ Hajime parted his lips, let Issei slip in with slow licks and gentle nips, ones that left them sighing into each other, breathing in sweet breaths.  _ I- _

Issei’s phone chirped, and they both twitched back, heads turning to the offending object. Issei groaned, but he still slowly disentangled himself and swept his phone up. His eyes scanned the screen, and then he turned to Hajime, raised one eyebrow. “Hey, Hajime, have you ever heard of makkingfaces or intergalactooru?” 

Hajime blinked, shook his head. “Why?” 

“Shigeru says they’re YouTubers too - and apparently, in makkingfaces last video, they spent a little while talking about some new channels they’d started to follow, and they mentioned us.” 

“How come Shigeru knows them?” 

Issei grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “Beautiful people and makeup channels. Also, one of them does costuming? I don’t know, Shigeru wouldn’t say much, just dropped me some links and told me to watch - wanna do that?” 

Hajime snorted, but he smiled anyways. “Sure.” 

It only took a minute or two to pull the video on the PS4, another to get settled, pressed up close together, and Issei started it. A young individual appeared on the camera, hair a delicate pastel pink, simple makeup adorning their face, piercings lining their ears. He caught a sharp inhale from Issei, one he nearly mimicked himself, and he glanced over with a smile. Issei’s eyes were wide, glued to the screen, lips parted a little. 

The voice drew him back, and Hajime watched as the YouTuber spread their hands and wiggled them at the screen.  _ “Hi there guys, gals, and nonbinary pals! Got a lot of new subscribers, so I just thought I’d introduce myself for a minute! I’m Hanamaki Takahiro, first-generation immigrant to America, and I identify as male with he/him pronouns! Um, I’m twenty-four, I like cats a lot, and I make videos with my boyfriend-”  _

A picture appeared, taking up half the screen, this time of a young man with brown hair, smoky eyes, and bright green nails he had spread into peace signs on either side of his face, framing his cheeks and that bright smile with his tongue sticking out, a ball piercing nestled on it. Takahiro giggled, shook his head, and sighed.  _ “Cute, isn’t he? Ah, I probably had so much trouble trying to decide which one I wanted to use! Anyways, today I’ll be doing a tutorial on how to make a simple plush because I really, really want a cat pillow, and I’m gonna make one I like! So with that, welcome to makkingfaces and let’s begin!”  _

Hajime watched, enraptured, as Takahiro went through the process, sped up for the most part except for little demonstrations where he went more in depth, showing pin placements and so many other things that Hajime didn’t quite understand. He voiced over the video, a smooth, bubbly voice that bounced, excited, as he talked about what he was doing before rambling off into random tangents - some about the animal shelter he volunteered at, about a diner he’d recently gone to, about projects he was excited for. 

Soon enough, the cat was finished, a big ovular thing made from creamy white fabric that looked soft, its round body stuffed full of stuffing. He’d even given it little paws, a long tail that curled over its back before ending in a black tip, and ears. “That’s really cute,” Issei whispered quietly as they watched Takahiro spin the cat around, showing off some of the black pieces he’d sewn on top of the white base because, according to him, he was “extra”. 

But the end result was stunning, and Hajime found himself shaking his head, grinning as he watched Takahiro set the cat down in his lap, grinning brightly.  _ “Thanks for watching you all! I really hope you liked it, and if you did, leave a comment below! I’m planning on making a few more of these cuties in different styles and doing a giveaway, so a subscription, a comment, and a follow on my Instagram will get you entered! Thanks, and I’ll see you all later!”  _

The picture of him cut to a simple baby-blue background with white dots on it, several links all around it. Issei didn’t go to any of those though. He merely paused it and looked at Hajime. “... He was really cute,” Issei said softly. 

Hajime smiled, fingers creeping across the nonexistent distance to curl into Issei’s, warmth filling his palm. “He was.” 

“I’m… Hajime, I’m really,  _ really _ gay.” 

“God, I hope so.” 

Issei shoved him lightly with a grin, then looked back to the screen. “His boyfriend was super hot too.” 

“Agreed.” 

“... We should watch some of his videos.” 

Hajime grinned and went down, found one where the two were together, seated on a bed, and he clicked on it. 

The two filled the screen, too beautiful to be real, stunning really. Neither of them had makeup on, but it didn’t matter - not with their bright eyes and their sweet smiles as they both waved at the screen.  _ “Hi all, I got my boyfriend Tooru to join us today, and we’re going to be doing a challenge that a ton of you have been requesting - my boyfriend is gonna do my makeup! And I’m gonna do his. At first, I thought, ‘Hiro, that’s really boring, you should do it blindfolded’, but then I realized that we both have pretty different styles of makeup, so I thought it would be interesting to see what we do to each other! Ready, Tooru?”  _

Tooru grinned, fingers trailing along Takahiro’s arm as he nodded to the camera.  _ “I’m always ready.”  _

_ “Great! Let’s get our supplies and get started!”  _

It started with Takahiro working on Tooru, most of the movements sped up again, his bubbly voice voicing over it as he carefully explained what he was doing. Most of it went over Hajime’s head - he knew the basics, but he knew that the results were stunning, and even simply watching the process was intriguing. Takahiro was gentle with Tooru’s face, carefully turning it this way and that, a little bit of his tongue poking out as he worked on Tooru’s eyes, applying shades of blue that were light and soft on the inside corners, darker on the outside, with huge “cat eye” sweeps of eyeliner that left Tooru with fierce eyes that left Hajime breathless when he glanced at the camera. 

From there, it was a rapid downhill fall for his heart. Takahiro peppered Tooru with kisses after he powdered his face, something that left them both giggling and swatting at each other, and then he somehow splattered Tooru’s face with freckles, delicate ones across the bridge of his nose, along his cheeks, before dropping to his lips and darkening the edges, letting that fade into a more neutral color in the middle. When he pulled back, let Tooru blink and smile at the camera, he was stunning, cheekbones even more defined that they had been before, the blue on his lids bringing out greens and other colors in his deep brown eyes. 

“Whoa…” Issei whispered. Hajime nodded, speechless. 

The picture changed abruptly, and both of them were there, except the makeup was gone, the outfits were different, and Takahiro- he looked  _ exhausted,  _ eyes swollen and strained, a tired smile tugging at his lips as he waved at the camera.  _ “Now Tooru is gonna do my makeup!”  _ His voice had the same quality as previous, perhaps a little strained, and Hajime glanced at Issei, one eyebrow raised. His boyfriend looked equally confused, but neither of them said anything as Tooru took control of the voiceover. His was deeper, smoother, the kind of voice that lulled Hajime into an easy slump on the couch as he watched. Tooru was even more careful with Takahiro - almost as if, if he touched him wrong, Takahiro would shatter into a million pieces. And, with how he looked, Hajime couldn’t really blame him. 

Tooru gently erased all the imperfections that had suddenly appeared, practically wiping away the bags under Takahiro’s eyes or the redness in his skin, and covering it all with an even coat of pale foundation. His eyes were next, a simple smoky eye with small wings - simple, but enough to draw attention straight to Takahiro’s golden eyes, leaving them dangerous, deadly. Paired with subtle contour and fierce red lipstick, it was enough to leave him looking positively killer. As if he hadn’t looked exhausted and like he’d been crying just a little before. Tooru let Takahiro show off to the camera for a minute before he pulled him over, pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead that left Takahiro’s eyes fluttering shut as he slumped forward. 

The video cut again, this time to Takahiro and Tooru sitting together, neither with makeup and again with new outfits. But Takahiro looked better, more put together, and the smile was brighter as he waved at the camera. “ _ And that was us doing each other’s makeup! Did you guys like it? Want to see more? If you do, let me know in the comments down below! Don’t forget to give this video a like and subscribe to the both of us for more super fun things! Bye then!”  _

They let the video run out, the peppy music fading into silence, and they sat there for a long moment, no words breaking the quiet. Nothing but the sounds of the city around them. 

“He looked sad, didn’t he?” Issei said softly. Hajime glanced down. Issei looked torn, hands tight on his knees, toes curled tight around the lip of the cushion beneath him. “I…” 

“He’s probably doing his best,” Hajime said softly. He set the controller aside, cupped Issei’s face, and turned him so they could look at one another. Hajime smiled. “Promise. If nothing else, I’m sure you can email him - especially since I’m sure you’ll be watching more of these two.” 

Issei flushed, embarrassed, but he nodded, a sweet smile curling his lips. “I’m really gay for them.” 

“Me too Issei, me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Mattsun's channel name is pronounced "Maht-su Baht-su"  
> Follow me at [fairylights101writes](http://fairylights101writes.tumblr.com/) to keep up to date with this and other fics! Track with "fic: plugged in"  
> Thanks for reading, please leave a comment ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁)


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